Details emerge on Washington state’s two-person crew law NEWSWIRE

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Gov. Jay Inslee has signed into law legislation mandating a minimum of two crew members on passenger and most freight trains operating in the state. The governor did veto a provision declaring the act effective immediately. “Given the complexity of this legislation, the Utilities and Transportation Commission [which has rail-safety oversight duties […]

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Trains News Wire Digest for Tuesday, April 7 NEWSWIRE

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A Sounder South commuter train arrives in Tacoma, Wash., in June 2018. Sound Transit will further reduce Sounder South service as of Wednesday. TRAINS: David Lassen Tuesday morning virus-related rail news: — Sound Transit has halted almost all construction because of the COVID-19 outbreak, stalling work on three light rail expansion projects. The Seattle Times […]

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News Wire Digest Second Section for Saturday, April 4 NEWSWIRE

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Set up to be transported like a trailer, a donated Black Mesa & Lake Powell hopper car prepares to leave the Navajo Generating Station in Page, Ariz., for its trip to the Arizona Railroad Heritage Park and Museum. Arizona State Railroad Museum Foundation More Saturday morning rail news: — Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee has […]

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Winterail 2020 ‘postponed’ due to coronavirus fears NEWSWIRE

Winterail

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Organizers for annual multimedia show and sale Winterail have “postponed” the 2020 event due to the COVID19 coronavirus outbreak in the Northwest. The news comes from a statement posted to the Winterail Facebook page. “Due to information from the State of Oregon, we’re sorry to announce that Winterail has been postponed,” the […]

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Main Street of the Northwest

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Mountains and rivers defined the scenic attraction of the Northern Pacific. Here, an A-B-B-A set of F units leads a six-locomotive consist on a freight following the Yakima River near Ellensburg, Wash., in 1964. Tom Gildersleeve photo […]

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Mill town terminal

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Northern Pacific L-9 class 0-6-0s 1082 and 1126 pause between work at Aberdeen, Wash., on a rare sunny day in 1954. Logs, lumber, sawmills, and shake mills dominate the economy here and in nearby Hoquiam, keeping several switch jobs busy. S-4 class 4-6-0s also toiled here. Tom Miller, Stephen Thompson collection […]

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Washington state passenger rail advocates call for Point Defiance Bypass opening ‘as soon as possible’ NEWSWIRE

SEATTLE — Rail-passenger advocacy group All Aboard Washington has issued a call for the Washington State Department of Transportation, Amtrak, and Sound Transit to reopen the Point Defiance Bypass and add Amtrak Cascades trains on the Seattle-Portland corridor “as soon as possible.” All Aboard Washington acknowledged it has a special interest in the subject, and […]

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